Mentoring
by Wheatpelt
Summary: Brightheart and Sorreltail discover an important point about how Firestar chooses mentors while on a hunting patrol. Naturally, they must bring up the topic to him. ONE-SHOT.


One bright, sunny morning in ThunderClan's camp by the lake, to she-cats were preparing to go on a hunting mission. Now you must understand, these two rarely spoke, and both had mates who where their normal hunting partners. But, today, the cat known as Brambleclaw had put them together.

The first she-cat was older, and incredibly scarred from a dog attack. Most cats shied away from her face when they first saw it, but this cat had a sweet personality. Most of you reading this will recognize her as Brightheart.

The second she-cat was young, spunky, and had absolutely zero scars. She had something in common with Brightheart, and that was the fact her mate as Brightheart's brother Brackenfur. Her name is generally given as Sorreltail, unless you misspell it as $0rre1ti1 or some nonsense like that.

While on this hunting patrol, the two got to talking and realized two more things in common: They both had known Whitestorm, and they both had never fully trained an apprentice. Brightheart had been given one who decided being a medicine cat was more worthwhile, and Sorreltail had filled in for Squirrelflight when Squirrelflight went on *another* quest.

Naturally, they decided to take this up with Firestar, the leader who had bestowed this misfortune.

And so this story shall begin.

* * *

"Firestar, we have a problem with how you are choosing mentors," Sorreltail began as she and Brightheart were ushered into his den.

"Yes, yes, what is it?" Firestar replied, his mind obviously on some prophecy StarClan had given him. What else was new?

"We have noticed that while we have been passed over as mentors, you are choosing the newest warriors to mentor, such as Lionblaze, Cinderheart, Mousewhisker, and those from that generation. We would also like to point out those warriors such as Brackenfur and Cloudtail, our own mates, have been chosen several times, as well as your daughter." Brightheart said, her tail slightly lashing.

Firestar stared at them for a moment before replying.

"Well, it's not like it is my responsibility to keep track of which cats have been mentors and which have not ," he commented.

"Actually, that is your duty as leader." Sorreltail pointed out.

"Oh, well then what would you like me to do about this, you_ noble_ she-cats that you are. Enlighten me." Firestar said, his voice filled with sarcasm and annoyance.

"Well first, I would like to mentor Cherrykit," Sorreltail began.

"And I will mentor Molekit," Brightheart put in.

"Naturally," Sorreltail replied to her new friend's interjection.

"Second, we would like you to keep track of who has mentored who, so this doesn't happen in the future. This shouldn't be a problem, since all of the cats right now you have assigned all of their apprentices." Brightheart added.

"And third, get over whatever you have with Whitestorm. We've noticed that we both have a connection with him," Sorreltail finished.

Firestar pondered this for a moment. "I can agree to the first two points. But I don't understand your last point. Why would I have a problem with Whitestorm?"

"Well, I'm his daughter," Sorreltail began.

"And I was his apprentice." Brightheart finished.

"And neither of us have had a full apprentice," Sorreltail said.

"Which obviously means –"

"You must have had a problem with Whitestorm," they finished in unison.

"I didn't even realize that," Firestar commented. "But anyways, I don't have a problem with Whitestorm. He was my wisest deputy. You are dismissed."

(On a completely unrelated sidenote, both Graystripe and Brambleclaw were listening in on this conversation and were now in complete and utter shock)

Eventually it was time for Cherrykit and Molekit to be apprenticed. Sorreltail and Brightheart waited patiently throughout the ceremony for the special words:

"Cherrykit, from this day forward you will be known as Cherrypaw. Your mentor shall be Sandstorm. Sandstorm, teach her as you did Honeyfern and Sorreltail, to be wise and understa-"

His words were abruptly cut off as two blurs, one tortoiseshell and white, one ginger and white shot themselves at him.

The Clan listened to him scream in pain as he was dragged through the forest.

Only Thornclaw had the courage to say, "Does anyone know what that was even about?"


End file.
